[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQCx1PMAV-E?hl=en&fs=1&w=425&h=349]

TWO STORMS: Chances of precipitation return to the state this coming week with Monday into Tuesday and again late Wednesday into Thursday. First off both systems will bring mainly rain to the state with the northern counties possibly getting some wintry mix during the overnight hours. Of the two systems, the Monday into Tuesday system looks to be the one that will give us the most moisture. Combined we should see anywhere between a quarter and four tenths of an inch of liquid precip.

THAT STORM ONCE MORE: It’s beginning to sound like a broken record when discussing the storm next weekend into the beginning of the following week, but it’s now within a week and it’s still on the board although the model runs continue to shift wildly with the tracks.

Starting with the GFS, the low moves across Iowa and then into Upper Michigan by Tuesday morning bringing with it some rain across the southeastern half of the state. Some wintry mix and then snow across the far north, northwest and western counties. As the low moves off to northern lower Michigan by Tuesday morning, all the precipitation is likely to shift to some snow (possibly a wintry mix in far SE Iowa). It’s way too early to determine amounts at this time.

Moving to the CGEM (Canadian GEM) this model run looks similar to what the GFS had a few days ago. This has the storm coming in two pieces with Sunday remaining dry as the first low is well to the NW over South Dakota. This would keep us on the warm side, thus temperatures likely in the 40s to maybe near 50. That storm would skirt across Minnesota while another low forms over New Mexico and west Texas and then moves ENE. This would bring more moisture into the state after cold air has arrived thus more snow, but mainly across the southeastern three quarters of the state. This is still a very fluid situation and needs to be monitored. Storm tracks, strengths etc can still change. Stay Tuned.

CHANGES: March 1st, The Iowa Weather Blog will make some big changes. Stay With Us on the announcements to come.